Bronx man charged with hammer attacks of cop, others in Manhattan

David Baril, 30, of the Bronx, who is suspected in a string of hammer attacks on Monday, May 11, 2015, was shot and wounded Wednesday, May 13, 2014, when he waved a hammer at two NYPD officers in midtown and hit a female officer, NYPD officials said. Photo Credit: NYPD

The emotionally troubled suspect in a series of hammer attacks in Manhattan who was wounded after he struck a police officer Wednesday has been formally charged by the NYPD with assault, officials said Thursday.

David Baril, 30, of the Bronx, faces seven charges of felonious assault, as well as one of criminal possession of a weapon -- the hammer he allegedly used in the attacks. But Baril hasn't been arraigned because he remained in critical condition Thursday at Bellevue Hospital Center, according to police.

Baril was shot twice by police Officer Geraldo Casaigne after he allegedly struck the cop's partner, Officer Lauren O'Rourke, with a hammer at the intersection of 37th Street and Eighth Avenue at 10 a.m. Wednesday. O'Rourke suffered bruising in the attack and was treated and released.

Both cops had recognized Baril from pictures circulated by the NYPD in connection with the earlier hammer attacks and were approaching him on Eighth Avenue when the attack occurred. The three-second encounter was captured on an NYPD security camera in the area.

According to investigators, Baril is believed to be the man who struck pedestrians with a hammer in four separate incidents in Manhattan on Monday. Investigators said that Baril had been diagnosed with paranoia and schizophrenia, conditions which they said worsened when he wasn't taking his medication.

A high-ranking NYPD official said a review of Baril's social media postings showed that he has made anti-cop and anti-white statements. During the attacks on Monday, police said Baril shouted a number of obscenities at his victims.